Hello, Again
by MysteriousMoonCo
Summary: A story that is heartwarming, dramatic, shocking, confusing, joyful, and sad at all once...  Rin and Len relationship centered but includes other Vocaloids and other pairings. Not twincest. No yuri/yaoi. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey, everyone, it's Celeste! (my friend and I share an account, so I have to make sure you know who's posting what, lol) Okeydokey! First actual posted and nearly complete fanfic ever! So, since I'm new to this whole posting fanfiction idea, please don't be too harsh… I know it's not perfect, but I like it and feel brave enough to post it, so yup! I make no sense half the time… well, whatever, sorry if I'm boring you with this long note, but I wanna make sure I tell you everything! Sorry if this first chapter is short, but I'm trying to feel my way through fanfiction… Oh, and there is minor cussing, but only just a little bit. Just so ya know. ^_^

Okay, so this fic… it may seem like everything isn't in chronological order or flows well, but it's supposed to be that way. It'll keep you guessing on what's flashback or what's happening at the moment. There are about four "stories" going on at once. If you need clarification, I *may* give it to you because I may not want to spoil some things. So… here we go! Please review, as any kind of help or ideas will be taken into consideration. :) I'll be sure to try and respond to all of them.

The idea for this was inspired by "Hello, Again" by Rin and Len (append version), except it's not exactly as the song goes because I added my own twists. That's where it gets it's name, but **if you have any ideas on a good title for this fic, I'd be happy to use one of them**! You have until chapter 4 to give a good title, but I may close the contest or whatever you'd call this early if I find a good title, so be quick! ^_^

-Celeste

**I do not own Vocaloid, not even the software, haha. Just a loyal fan who likes to write her own stories.**

****edit**** I just noticed something majorly off with my timeline, so I changed the amount of time they mention from three week to one whole week below.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

"How is she?" the voice said, filled with worry.

_I am fine. No worries. Just a few scratches that I can feel. And I can't see anything… It's all pitch black._

"Physically fine," another, more tired, and deeper voice answered.

_Didn't you hear me?_

"I can see that, but is there something _wrong_ with her?" the first voice pressed.

_Can you not hear me or something?_

"Do not talk about her like that. Why do you treat her as if she cannot understand?" yet another calmer, younger, and more perceptible voice retorted.

_Of course I can understand. Where am I? Is that-_

"Because she cannot," the second said simply.

_Yes, I can! Why can't you hear me?_

"What? Tell me what _happened_ to her. It's been a whole week!" the first said in shock.

_ A whole week since what? Nothing happened! Listen to me!_

"She's practically brain dead," the second said unemotionally.

_'Brain dead?' I _am_ alive! You just can't hear me._

"No. She is not," the third said simply.

_Len? _

"Son, are you questioning the diagnoses of a trained doctor?" the second was starting to become irate.

_Yes, he has the right to, since, you sir, are incorrect. I am in fact _not_ brain dead._

"This whole time during this conversational argument, have you not noticed that she has been reacting to everything?" the third said smugly.

_I have?_

"_What_?" the first's voice filled with even more disturbance.

_I am not moving. I _know_ I am not moving. How-_

"Rin! It's your father. Are you okay?" the first said before turning back to the other two, "Why is her expression changing in reaction to us…?"

_It's all pitch black and I am not moving._

"Can a brain dead patient do _that_?" the younger voice asked complacently.

_I-I-I wish I could say someth-_

"LEN!" a young, feminine voice cried out.

_What?_

"Now, doctor, tell me."

* * *

><p>Len smiled and lead Rin into their favorite cafe.<p>

"Len?" Rin looked over to her best friend.

"Yup, Rin?" he smiled opening the door for her, bowing and gesturing gentlemanly for her to go ahead of him jokingly for her amusement.

"I'll buy my own lunch, thank you very much," she laughed.

"Aww, come on," he feigned disappointment before returning to a questioning voice. "But you don't get an allowance."

"Doesn't matter. I still have some of my birthday money left. I wouldn't want to impose…"

He asked for a table and continued the conversation, "oh, that's not fair for you! You earned that money!"

They sat down across from each other at the small table. "Earned it?"

"Yeah, duh! You lived for another year, of course that means you earned it," he smiled slyly.

She laughed at his expression, "you seriously are weird sometimes."

His face turned serious.

"What now, Len?"

"I _am_ paying. _I_ get an allowance. _I _can spend it however _I'd_ like and _I'd_ like to pay for both our lunches."

"Oh, alright," she smiled once his face turned to smile again. They sat down at the table. "It's just… it makes it…"

"What is it, Rin?" he asked.

"It…" she sped through the next sentence. "Itmakesitsoundlikeadate."

Len blinked. "Um… of course not." He laughed nervously. "We're just friends, of course."

Rin looked directly at him, except Len averted his eyes from her own.

"Um, Len..?"

"Yes, Rin?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"No worries," she closed her eyes happily.

"Yup, no worries!" he smiled shyly, still trying to hide his embarassment.

* * *

><p>Len was shocked. He just sat there, in the waiting room of the lobby. Utterly. Traumatized. His face with buried in his hands. His elbows resting on his lap. He heard footsteps.<p>

"Darling-."

"Len. Please, call me Len," he choked through tears.

"Len," he looked up for a minute before returning to burying his face in his hands. It was pink haired nurse who had been tending to Rin. "I would like to thank you."

"For what?"

"For not losing hope. I've seen people like your friend's father. They're just… lost… and they lose hope very quickly."

She sat down on the bench next to Len. "I'm technically not supposed to be talking to you about this, but… I don't like to see people like this. Nurses don't only care for the _physical _wellbeing of those around them. Emotions count too."

When Len finally glanced up, he saw the nurse kindly smiling.

"So, what happened to her?"

"Basically, without all those confusing technical terms, something's wrong with her communication in her brain. She doesn't have voluntary movement and cannot speak because of it."

Len's eyes widened, "she can't sing either, then?"

Luka looked at Len oddly, "no, she cannot sing. There are therapies for helping her gain control of herself again, but it won't make it the same as before."

Len stood up, regaining his voice, "Thank you-" he looked at her name tag, then to her again "-Luka. I think I'm going to try to eat something…"

"If you need me, just ask for someone to page me," she placed a hand on his shoulder. "You stay well, Len. You are welcome to stay overnight if you wish. I can tell you care very much for her."

She walked towards the elevators. If Len's emotions weren't already twisted with regret and distress, he would have been blushing. _I show I care for her that much?_

With that thought bubbling through his head, he went off to the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>AN: I'll try to update sometime this week, but it may not be until next week, sorry… I can't ever get myself to sit and write for a very long time, so sorry about that… XD Hope you enjoyed it and please review! Also, don't forget about suggesting a good name~! Bye-nee! ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: hey, look! I lied! I wrote this up yesterday because of a smack in the face of inspiration and proof read today! :D here's the next chapter! Sorry it's short-ish… I'll update more this coming week! :) Glad to see people like it so far! :)

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><p>"Rin-chan~!" Len walked up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes. She was sitting and eating lunch in the school cafeteria with her two friends, Teto and Miku. It was the last day of school.<p>

"Hmm," Rin said thoughtfully. "I wonder who this could be?"

She stood up with his hands still covering her eyes. Before Len knew it, she was out of his control and attacking his sides, tickling him.

"Gaah! Rin!" he laughed as he finally broke free.

"Silly, Len. Do you not know I know your every weakness?" she teased, pointing a finger directly in his face.

"Silly, Rin-chan. Do you now know I know _your_ every weakness?" he replied with a smirk.

"Why do you always call me 'Rin-chan?'" she looked at him questioningly.

"Um," he tried not to blush. "Because it sounds fun."

"Oh, this is what I get for not taking Japanese as my language in high school isn't it?"

"Yup! I still don't know why you'd want to take French…"

"Len. Have you not been listening to me or something…? I switched to take Japanese with the school counselor last week. Honestly, it seems like you never listen!"

"You did?" he cleared his throat. "I mean, you did. I remember that."

She laughed sarcastically.

"Oi, earth to the love birds," Miku, Rin's friend, poked her.

Rin and Len blushed.

"Sit down, sillies! Remember you saved a seat for Len. You told me it was of utter importance it was saved," Teto said unaware of exactly what she said as Miku burst into laughter at Rin's face turning even more red.

Len ignored them, to Rin's delight. He continued the conversation, "yup, I thought it was weird."

"What was weird?" she asked nervously, holding her breath.

"That you like to sing songs in Japanese," he said through mouthfuls on his salad topped with bananas. "but you weren't taking Japanese as your language in high school."

Rin breathed in relief. She laughed and took a drink of orange juice. "That's why I switched."

"Not because of me?" his expression sly.

Oh, there he was teasing her again. She blushed. How could she not? He was adorable. _Absolutely adorable._

Miku snickered, "Oooh, Rin's embarrassed. You need to stop teasing her Len. Don't you agree Teto?"

Teto wasn't even paying attention to the conversation, focused on her french bread sandwich, but mumbled in agreement.

"See, even Teto agrees," Miku teased.

Teto came back to reality. "Hey! What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Miku kept an innocent voice, "What's what supposed to mean?"

"'Even Teto agrees.' Are you implying something with that?" her face grew slightly angry.

Miku laughed. "Of course not, Teto."

The hot pink-haired girl's face lightened and returned to her normal ditzy self. "Okeydokey!"

Miku just rolled her eyes then turned her focus back on Rin and Len, who had been having a nice conversation among themselves.

Miku placed her head on Rin's shoulder, trying to get her attention.

"Riiiinnnn," she whined. "Stop flirting with Lenny over there and pay attention to your best friends."

Rin just blushed again, not knowing what to say, but Len stepped in for her.

"Hatsune," he said warningly.

"Kagamine," she glared back.

Rin just laughed nervously at the tension that was building between the two.

"Uh, guys…" Rin's voice rose in pitch.

Miku's expression snapped back to her normal smile. "Sooo, what were you two discussing?"

"Just our favorite Japanese songs," Rin beamed.

"Hmm… so Len. What's _your_ favorite song? Spice? Cantarella? Romeo and Cinderella? Adolescence?"

"Miku!" Rin warned.

Len just laughed. "No, actually. Those are nice sounding, but one of my favorites is Sukidaisuki."

He stared right at Rin as he said that. Rin blushed even more.

"English please?"

"Go get a translation dictionary," Len said as he leaned back in the chair, hands behind his head. Len smiled at Rin, but something else caught her attention.

_Did he just wink at me?_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, look an update! :D I'm very happy that I've had positive response to this fic; it makes me very smiley. :) The last chapter was a bit short, but this one makes up for it. I'm expecting this fic to go on for at least ten or so chapters in total, but may be more. I'm terrible at estimating things like that. XD Also, a big thanks to MyNameIsEdward for proof reading a few things and supporting this fic. You're awesome. ^_^

Remember about **suggesting a new name**! Only one more chapter to do so~! I'll be sure to give you credit and maybe even a sneak peak at what's coming next since I'm so generous like that, hehe.

My birthday is this Wednesday, so every review is like a little present to me. :) Please be sure to review, as I will respond to _all_ of them. They are _very_ appreciated. Positive and even negative feedback can help make something even better. Constructive criticism helps a lot and I don't take it harshly, so please be critical of things in a _polite_ manner. :D

Also, you may wanna take a look at this song while you're reading. It's a Vocaloid chorus of a song called Smiling. It's absolutely adorable and I've been listening to it the whole time I wrote. Here's the link: http:/youtu(dot)be/jdHRGXhXVuo

Enough of my ranting! Here's the next chapter!

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><p>"Len. I know you are good friends with my daughter, but I am her father. I need to be the one taking care of her," said the tall blonde man who towered over Len. Except, even with Rin's father's obvious try at intimidation, Len stood his ground. They had continued their conversation in the halls of the hospital where Rin was checked-in.<p>

"You never seem to take care of her. She's always telling me how terrible you are," he glared at the man, arms crossed.

"_What_? How _dare_ you say my daughter doesn't love me," the man's voice rose.

"I never said that. Also, sir, I mean you no disrespect, but we're in a hospital and I don't think raising your voice is a good idea."

Len kept his calm demeanor, still staring directly at the man's eyes. The man was becoming more infuriated by the second.

"I do _not_ need any help with my own daughter. You keep your little _ass_ out of this, Len. If I needed your help-"

"You wouldn't ask for it."

"Do _not_ interrupt me, Len. I want you to stay _away_ from my daughter. Do _not_ come here _ever_ again."

"Sir, I would like you to tell me how this is not selfish of you. I have brought happiness to your daughter when she is at her weakest. I have stayed with her day and night comforting her. I have been here for a week straight and where have _you_ been? Out gambling, drinking, and having_ fun _with-"

"_LEN, I do NOT need to be treated like-"_

"A child?" he scoffed. "Then tell me me, sir, why is the child calmer than the 'responsible' adult?"

Len just shrugged at the gasps of horror from his surroundings even though he felt dizzy. The grown man's slap across the was what he expected. The man had reacted without thinking first.

"Sir," a doctor said as walked up to Rin's father and Len along with a long purple-haired security guard who had been watching everything. "We would like to ask a few questions."

The father's jaw dropped and as he tried to look for an exit, another security guard with short blue hair walked up.

"Son, are you alright?" the second guard asked Len.

"Yes, and-since I know you're going to ask-I would be happy to explain my story."

A small click came from behind Rin's father. He struggled as the handcuffs fell into place.

"Sir, if you'll come with me," the first guard insisted as he led the father away.

"Gakupo, if you'll take him to our office. I'd like to speak with this young man for a moment to get his side of the story."

"Alright, Kaito. Be sure to come back soon, though. We may need to confirm stories."

The blue-haired man turned to Len. "Now, I'd like to hear every detail."

"No problem, sir," Len smiled as he began his story.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Miku, Teto, Gumi!" Rin called to her friends, running up to them. Only Gumi, dressed in a green and white striped sundress, large red-rimed sunglasses, and floppy hat, saw her, as Teto and Miku had their backs turned. Teto, with her hot pink hair up in her signature twin drills, was wearing a navy blue, terry-cloth skirt and hot pink tank top along with white flip-flops.<p>

"Oh, there she is," Gumi brushed her green bangs out of her eyes and nudged Teto and Miku to turn around. Miku's turquoise sun dress swished around. Her giant yellow beach bag smacked Teto on the thigh, causing a quick moment of irritation before composing themselves to greet their friend. Rin wore white shorts, a lightweight yellow poncho, and white tank top along with her white hair bow she practically always wore.

"Good afternoon, onee-chan, onee-chan, and onee-chan!" she turned to each in turn as she greeted them. They were standing on the beginning of the pier. It was a slightly overcast, yet bright day. The four friends planned to meet each other for a day of fun and sand, since it was their first day of summer vacation.

"Hmph. Is Len giving you lessons in Japanese even before you start high school? 'Onee-chan' means 'elder sister,' correct?" Rin nodded as Miku continued. "Oh, and speaking of Len…. That's surprising he's not with you. You two seem to stick to each other like glue," Miku teased as Rin's face turned a light shade of red.

"Miku! That's not very nice," Gumi glided over to stand behind Rin, her wide-brimmed cartwheel hat flopping around, and gave her a comforting hug from behind. "Don't trouble yourself over what Miku keeps saying, Rin. She's just jealous."

"Jealous?" Miku shrieked.

"Oh, yes, it's _very_ obvious," Gumi sneered, as she released Rin and strode up to Miku.

"Um, guys… I don't think that this is a nice way to start off our day…" Rin's voice trailed off.

Teto raised her hand, "I second that."

Gumi's face converted from downright serious to completely sarcastic expression. "You know, I was just kidding. It seem that no one understands my sarcasm…" she said in a convincingly dejected tone.

"Rin, Teto, make her stop," Miku whined, hiding behind them.

Rin just laughed, while Teto looked utterly concerned.

"Gumi," Teto began. "and Miku and Rin. Like Rin said, let's just start over. We don't want to start our day off negatively. It's the first day of summer break!"

They stood totally still for a few seconds, letting the words settle in. Miku was the first to burst out into laughter.

Teto was puzzled. "What? I can say smart things too…"

Rin smiled. "Oh, Teto, you're always the best. And correct. Let's continue on."

Gumi nodded. They glanced at Miku, expecting her consent. She crossed her arms and huffed. "Oh, fine. I guess I agree."

Teto's face transformed back to her happy, ditzy self. "Yay! So where should we go first?"

"Um…" Rin pondered. "I needed to go shopping for a new bathing suit, but-"

Before Rin could continue on, Miku pulled her next to her. "Well, why didn't you say so? We can't have fun at the beach without one! Gumi, Teto, and I all brought ours; I'm wearing mine under the dress. It's settled! Commencing operation: 'Find Rin a Bathing Suit!'"

"Oh! Shopping! Yay!" Teto jumped up and down excitedly.

"Sure. Plus, I bet we can find one Len will like," Gumi winked.

Rin laughed nervously, but returned to a cheerful smile. They began walking, arms linked, towards some of the shops along the pier. _I have the weirdest friends, don't I? Teto's so ditzy and hyper, but sincere and trustable. Gumi's so protective and motherly, but she can be very sarcastic and snappy. Miku's nice and honest but can be a bit _too_ honest sometimes. And Len? Len's just… Len. Trustable, dependable, honest, kind, sweet, caring… _Rin chuckled to herself. _I have the best of friends._

* * *

><p>"What? You're moving for the <em>whole<em> summer?" Rin's voice blasted through the phone. Gumi turned down the volume in response.

Gumi had hoped Rin's reaction wouldn't be so severe, but she knew that that was like hoping the sun wouldn't rise. She held her cell phone to her ear with her shoulder as she looked through clothes to pack.

"I'm sorry, Rin, but I can't help it… My dad's work is relocating and they need his help with the set up. At least I'm not having to move permanently, like a few others at his work. I'm sorry it was so last minute."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Gumi," Rin apologized. "I shouldn't 've reacted to severely. How many days until you leave?"

"Three. And I'm stuck packing and helping out around the house," Gumi moaned. There was a pause.

"Well, I'll come over!" Rin said suddenly.

"Oh, I'm kinda of busy with this and can't do anything else… and I don't want to waste your day with you watching me pack."

"It's fine," Rin assured. "I can help you too. You're always helping me out."

"If you insist…" Gumi mused.

"I do. I'll get my scooter and be over there in ten minutes. See ya, Gumi!"

"Alrightly. Hey, not to be a bother, you don't have to if you don't want to, but could you maybe stop by the store and grab a six pack of carrot vegetable juice? I'll pay for it. It's just that my mom's not letting me get some since I have to pa-"

"Say no more," Rin laughed. "It's no bother. Buh-bye, onee-chan!"

"Thank you, Rin."

_Click!_ Rin stashed her cell phone in her purse and grabbed her sunglasses as she ran through her door and down the stairs.

"Dad!" she called through the apartment. "I'm going to Gumi's for a bit."

With no answer, she stopped to get a piece of paper and pen. "_Going to Gumi's. Be back in a few hours. -Rin_," she wrote and taped the paper to the door. Grabbing her scooter and strapping it to her back, she left and locked the door behind her.

_Alright! Let's go!_

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, I know what you're thinking "how in hell do the last two bits have anything to do with it? They sound more like one-shots than actually being part of the story!" Well, yeah, they kinda do seem pointless, but I'm writing the one-shot-like stories to give background on her friends, everyone's personalities, situations, and such, rather than just putting all of that into a boring summary-like-thing in the story. It seems like filler, and yes, it kind of is, _but_ it's not _pointless_ filler. How else would you know why Gumi isn't around when- oops, spoilers, heh heh heh.

Anyways~... ^_^ please review~! I'll be updating as soon as I can.

Thanks a bunch for reading and glad everyone's enjoying it!

-Celeste


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I changed the rating! yaaay~! XD haha, it won't go above T though, sorry, haha. there's a bit of… er… an interesting situation for Len later in this chapter and will be later in this fic, so I decided to raise the rating just to be safe because I'm paranoid like that. XD

alrighty, then! Looks like everyone likes my title so far, so I'm keeping it! Contest is finished! **sarcastically** I'm sooo happy I had soooo many responses to the little contest! *Ahem.* Well, anyways, I _am_ happy with the positive response to this fic! so very sorry for not updating for a little while! my birthday was Wednesday and I went to a comedy show yesterday, and I was busy with stuff the other days, so I never got to write much until this morning! T-T So to make up for it, I'm making this chapter longer! yaaay! XD

I was texting Misty (my best friend who I share this account with) yesterday and came up with more of the plot. be warned in a few coming chapters, there will be other Vocaloid pairings, (no yuri/yaoi, though), but they won't be focused on as much as LenxRin. also I plan to write for the rest of the day, but then again, half of my plans always get messed up by something… but I digress… XD

As always, remember to review! if you ever have any questions, you can either PM or post a review, and I'll be sure to answer them! I always reply to every review I receive (eventually, hehehe), so that should be another reason to review, since you're getting a wonderful answer that took my precious time up! XD hehehe, I use sarcasm a lot, much like Gumi, so please don't take _everything_ to heart, hehehe.

But enough of my random rants! Here's the next chapter! :D

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><p>"Hey, Gumi!" Rin called as she entered her friend's room. She was wearing the same outfit she wore at their day at the pier. Gumi was wearing camouflage shorts and an orange sweatshirt.<p>

"Oh! Hi, Rin!" Gumi smiled. "Did my mom let you in?"

"Yup," Rin replied, plunking herself down on the clothing-riddled bed. "How's the packing going?"

"Eh, fine… it's just really, _really_ annoying."

Rin laughed. "Well, of course, but once it's finished, it's finished. Oh, and I brought the carrot juice for you."

Gumi's face lit up, rushing over to Rin, and nearly knocking her over. "Thanks! Gimmegimmegimmegimme!" She twisted open the top and began to drink.

Rin cracked up at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Hmm," Gumi looked straight at Rin. "No wonder Len likes you. You both think the same."

Rin's face turned a shade of red. She chuckled nervously. "Uh, heh, um, wh-what?"

"Oh, you're seriously _still_ trying to hide it?" Gumi asked through sips of her favorite drink. "'Once it's finished, it's finished?' You both have that attitude of 'what's been done has been done, so just deal with it and make the best of it.'"

"It's not as simple as that," Rin protested, opening her own bottle of orange juice she bought for herself.

"Oooh, of _course_ not," Gumi smirked, walking over to her purse and reaching in for a few dollars to pay Rin back. Placing the money in Rin's lap, she twirled around, picking up clothes, inspecting them, and setting them in their proper piles. "My name is Rin and I think exactly like my best guy friend who I still won't admit that I've fallen for!" Gumi mocked.

"Oi! I do not sound like that," Rin objected, standing up, money falling on the floor, striding over to Gumi, who was still twirling and dancing. "Oh, and I'm Gumi! I'm so sarcastic and funny! Everyone loves _me_ because I'm the life of the party no matter where I go!"

Both stood face to face, only inches apart with vexed expressions forming on the two best friends.

"I'm Gumi," Rin insisted angrily.

"And my name is Rin," Gumi confirmed irately.

The tension in the room built up so high before completely vanishing when both burst out laughing.

Rin wiped a tear from laughing away. "Oh, you should've seen your face!"

Gumi plopped onto her beanbag chair. "You can't deny it though."

"Oh, it's just embarrassing to talk about, since Miku always teases me about it. If I truly admitted it to her, she'd just keep teasing me," Rin picked up the money and placed it in her purse.

"You think so? I think she'd stop teasing once she knew. I'm guessing she just keeps poking fun at you because she wants the truth from you. She's very immature that way, but very sincere."

"Really?" Rin asked with a surprised expression.

"Yes, 'really,'" Gumi guaranteed. "Try it. She's got good intentions, but she is just childish and doesn't know how to handle 'mature' situations. It's her way of showing she cares."

Rin nodded and smiled. "Okay. I will tell her. One more question: is it _really_ that obvious?"

"What? You two adoring each other?"

"Yes," Rin squeaked, turning another hue of red.

"Hmm, let's see… you two are _always_ around each other, you make each other laugh, you two think alike, you know practically everything about each other, you call each–"

_Buzzzzzz, buzzzzzz, buzzzzzz._

"Speak of the devil," Gumi chuckled.

Rin's face became even more red. "It's him…" she whispered.

"Answer it!" Gumi boomed, nearly causing Rin to drop the phone. "Put it on speaker, too!"

Rin fumbled with the talk button and opened the flip-phone to change it to speaker.

"You've reached the voice mailbox of Rin, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as quickly as possible. Thanks a bunch! BEEP," Rin imitated into the phone. Gumi had to shove her face into a pillow to muffle the sounds of laughter.

"Hiiiii, Rin-chan!" Len greeted. "I just wanted to know if you felt like doing something today. My dad's out on business and my mom's at work, so I've got the place to myself. If you would stop imitating your answering machine and reply, I'd be rather happy."

Rin giggled and Gumi did a thumbs up. "Oh, Len... Hi."

"'_Hi_?' is that all I get?" Len feigned whining.

"Hi, Len?"

"More," Len insisted.

"Hello, Len?"

"Moooore."

Rin sighed and blushed even more. "Hello, Len-kun…"

"Oh, yaay!" Len said triumphantly. "So do you want to do anything?"

Gumi nodded enthusiastically and whispered, "Yes! Yes!"

Rin waved her away and continued her conversation. "What do you have in mind?"

"I said I had the place free," Len repeated in a monotone voice.

Rin's eyes grew wide, as did Gumi's.

"Is he meaning what I _think_ he means?" Rin mouthed. Gumi's mouth fell open, absolutely stunned.

"I bought and rented a few games on the PSP. I even got this one that our math teacher, Mr. Hiyama, suggested. It's where you have this gun that shoots inter-dimensional gateways and you're stuck battling this evil and sarcastic supercomputer, not much unlike Gumi. I know how you like puzzle games!"

Rin breathed a sigh of relief and Gumi became infuriated. "'Not much unlike Gumi?'" she mouthed.

Rin just laughed at her best friend's reaction. "Sure, I'll come over. I'm at Gumi's right now, helping her pack, so I'll be there in an hour or so, 'kay?"

"Fine, by me," Len agreed. "Oh, and by the way, hello Gumi."

Rin's signature "how-the-hell-did-he-know?" expression was plastered all over her face. Gumi charged over to Rin, grabbing the phone.

"Yup, you'll be seeing Rin soon, Len," Gumi hissed into the phone. "And I am _not_ like a 'sarcastic supercomputer!'"

Len chuckled. "Of course, not Gumi 2.0. Bye, bye, Rin-chan."

"See ya, Len," Rin answered, taking the phone back from Gumi, who was still yelling at Len, and pressed the end button. Rin smiled.

* * *

><p><em>"NO!" he screamed. Falling the ground on his knees. Len's head jerked up, tears streaming down his face.<em>

_ "No! How? How...?" he stared at the nearly lifeless body underneath the car._

_ The man who had been driving the car, stepped out and closed the door. Backing up from the scene, he stared in shock at what he had done._

_ "How could you?" Len sprinted up to the man and seized his collar. The man gaped at the boy in shock. "How COULD you?"_

_ Len raised a fist to the man, absolute rage pouring from him, ready to strike, but soon he realized what he was doing. Len grip on the man's shirt loosened. "Except, that does nothing… What's done has been done." He wiped his eyes and wandered towards the car. Crouching down to survey the accident, vision still blurred by his tears._

_ A policeman walked up behind him and placed his hand on Len's shoulder. "Son, I'm sorry, but it seems as if_–_"_

_"Len…" suddenly a weak voice croaked. Len rushed towards the source of the noise, which was underneath the car._

_ "Rin!" he ducked underneath the car and found her hand, taking in his own. The sirens began to wail in the background, but the noise was disregarded. The only thing that mattered was her._

_ "Len…" she wheezed, mustering all of her strength to speak._

_"No, Rin. Don't speak," he squeezed her hand gently. "They're coming to take you to the hospital."_

_ "Len…"_

_ "Shhh," he insisted._

_ "Len. Please… know… I… I…"_

_ "Rin… please… for me," he breathed._

_ "Son, please step back," Len jumped when he felt the hand on his shoulder._ _ The paramedics had arrived minutes before and were already pulling the car away by tow truck. The faint beeping of the warning alarm coming from the tow truck became louder._

_ Beep… Beep… Beep… Beep… _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Len shot straight up in bed, breathing heavily.

"Just… a dream…?" his slapped the top of his alarm, which had been yelling at him to wake up.

Beads of sweat trickled down his face. That dream happened every night since… he didn't want to think about it.

"Two weeks… hmm… Teto should be back from her vacation today. She doesn't even know yet…" Len muttered to himself as he swiped away the covers and sat up. Standing up and walking over to the mirror, Len just shook his head and sighed. Wearing yellow pajama bottoms and a grey tee shirt from his trip to New York, he wandered over to the bathroom, found a comb, and began to untangle his bright blonde hair.

Finishing with that, he undressed and stepped into the shower. He hadn't even bothered looking at the time; he had never sleep well, but after the… accident, he barely slept a wink. Ten minutes passed before he finished and stepped out, a white towel around his waist. Grabbing another towel he dried off his torso, face, and hair. Finally looking at the time–_oh, dammit_–, he sped up and rushed through getting dressed in a pair of relaxed-fit jeans and white, long-sleeved button-up shirt and putting his hair up into his signature mini-ponytail.

He searched his nightstand for his phone and wallet in the dim lighting. Finding them and placing them in his back pockets. He stepped out of his bedroom and squinted his eyes at the brighter and cheerier atmosphere of his house. Walking down the stairs and into the kitchen, he noticed a note on the counter.

"_Had a important emergency meeting work. You're dad will be home around 11 pm. Love, mom. PS: please make sure you get some sleep. I made some of your favorite sweet in the fridge_," it read. Len smiled. His mom always messed up on grammar when she was rushed.

Len trudged over to the fridge, his dark expression has returned but lightened once he opened the fridge door and spotting what his mom made. _Banana pudding_. He smiled.

Carrying the bowl and finding a spoon in the drawer, he made his way over to the kitchen island and pulled up a barstool and sat down. He pulled the plastic wrap off the top, dipped the spoon in, and took a bite.

Savoring the sweet flavor and chewing on a chuck of banana, Len's mind began to wander. He wondered what would've happened if he had been hit by the car instead of Rin. It wasn't fair. She never deserved anything like this. She was always bright and her personality sunny. She never thought she was anything special, but she was… oh, she _is_.

If only he'd watched out and seen that car–no, he would've never known. What happened happened and he has make the best of it.

He's helping her. More than anyone else. Helping her get past this obstacle. It's just one chapter in her life. And he's going to make the best of it.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door, interrupting his introspection. Setting down the spoon and slipping out of his chair, he walked over to the door.

He looked through the peephole and saw a flash of hot pink before getting slammed into the wall by the door.

"Len? Are you here?" Teto's voice filled with concern.

"Behind… the door," he muttered, still in pain from the hard wood squishing him. He pushed the door away and walked out.

"What are you doing behind there, silly?" her voice returned to normal before becoming troubled again. "Rin's not answering her cell phone."

"Teto…" Len began.

Teto read his face. "What _happened_ to her?"

"She–"

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Teto cut him off.

"You went on vacation to–"

"You could've… you could've…" she slowly slid down onto the floor, tears streaming down her face.

Len crouched down and patted her back. "She got hit by a car and s-she isn't the same anymore."

"Tell me exactly." Len had never seen Teto so serious. Even dressed in a rainbow sundress, it seemed as if her whole personality had dulled.

"She's fine, physically, but she can't speak or control her movements."

"Oh… can I go visit her?"

"She's at the hospital right now. I was going to go visit her after I finish–" before Len could complete his sentence, Teto grabbed him by the arm, running out of the house, and closed the door behind them.

"Teto! We can't visit until after noon," he cried. They had already run half a block before she stopped dead in her tracks, next to a tall brick fence.

"Oh… so want to get breakfast?"

Len was taken aback by the sudden suggestion. "Uh, I guess so. Why?"

"I… I just want to spend time with you," she rocked back and fourth in her shoes.

"With me? Why?" Len didn't know what to expect from her. His stance uncertain.

"Be-because…" she looked away. "Because I love you."

Len was astonished. "'Love' me?"

Teto suddenly turned around and pulled Len towards her, hands on his shoulders. "With Rin out of the way, we can finally–"

"What?" Len pushed her away, eyes wide in shock. "Teto… this is the _last_ thing I'd expect of you!"

"But… but I _want_ you…" her expression turned dark. "And I'll _take_ you if I have to."

Without warning, Len was forced against the wall. _What the hell is she doing?_

Teto moved closer to Len, wanting to kiss him. Inches before their lips meet, a sudden crunch of paper and a shriek interrupted Teto's intentions.

"LEN! TETO! How COULD you?"

Len turned to face the source of the sudden uproar. Miku had dropped her armful of groceries and sprinted up to Len. Teto stepped back from Len, her expression changed to one of shock.

"Mi-Miku, how's it going?" she stuttered.

"Teto! What were you _doing_?" Miku looked at her friend in horror, before turning to Len and slapping him on the face.

"Ow!" he cried. "What was that for?"

"For letting Teto do this to you! If Rin were…" Miku's voice trailed off.

The three stood in silence before Teto spoke up. "Len… I… didn't–"

"No, Teto… you knew what you were doing. It wasn't right. Le-Len would ne-never g-go for girls li-like us when he's already got his si-sights set on he-her…" Miku's eyes began to water.

"Wait… _what_?" Len couldn't believe what was happening before his eyes.

"We both love you, Len," Miku sniffled. "But we couldn't _bare_ to see Rin unhappy, so we've kept it secret for so long…"

"Len… would you give Rin up for one of us?" Teto whispered.

Len, beginning to become pinned against the wall by the two girls again, sighed. "Miku, Teto… I… I would…"

* * *

><p>AN: surprises! hehe. never thought that would happen, would you? cliff hanger! XP I'm so evil, aren't I? you'll just have to wait and see what happens... :P

also, if anyone needs clarification of which "story" is which, here are the "stories" going on so far: pre-summer vacation (last day of school), post-summer vacation and pre-accident, and post-accident. It may seem like more, but they're actually just slightly out of chronological order, which is intentional, of course. Hope that clarified any possible questions on the storyline. ^_^ There will be another, possibly two, "story(s)" in later chapters.

Please remember to review. It makes me very very happy! :D and when I'm happy and encouraged by my readers, I write more, so you'll get an update sooner! See? Reviews benefit everybody! XD Until next time, my friends!

TTFN!

-Celeste


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: hey, here's an update! :D left you quite a cliff hanger last time, huh? XD well, expect more of those because I love to add plot twists and cliff hangers~ hehe because I'm evil like that, muahahaha! XD also, this chapter has no story breaks for once!

I love the response I'm getting from everyone! seems like everyone loves it~! :D

thought I'd introduce Lily's character in this since her "birthday" is in two days! Happy early Birthday, Lily! :D also does anyone know who the waitress is later in this chapter? :D she is a vocaloid, of course, but I wanna know if people know her name, hehe. Misty didn't even know who she was, but she admits she doesn't know all the vocaloids. I do though~, hehe. XD

I'd like to say thanks to PopNyanChan, x3VanillaxLove, AyumiIsTsundere, and MyNameIsEdward for reviewing and favoriting the story and angel1210005, LightSpeed Athlete24, and vanillasoftserve for adding it to their alert list! :D I'll be sure to thank you in an author's note if you do review/favorite/alert it because I'm nice, hehe. :)

and yes, the game Len talked about in the last chapter was in fact Portal, my most favorite Mac game ever! I'll be writing fanfiction for that game with Misty soon too. :D

anyways, enjoy~! :D

* * *

><p>"I would never… I'm sorry, but the feeling isn't mutual."<p>

The two back away and looked at each other. A devious expression forming on their faces.

"Good. Because we were testing you," Miku said simply.

"Wait, what?" Len asked.

"Is that your catchphrase now or something? We were testing your loyalty to Rin. I already told Teto when I picked her up at the airport. We planned this on the way back. Being 16 and able to drive has it's perks."

"Except your mom has to be in the car with us. That was _awkward_, but at least she's fine with Rin and Len being together. If we were talking about someone _I _ was interested in…" Teto grumbled. Miku just laughed.

"So this was all a set up…?" Len was still shocked, standing absolutely still.

"Oh, you idiot. Of course it was! Teto and I don't _love_ you; we don't hate you, but it's just a friendship, duh," Miku stood with her hands on her hips. Teto dashed up to hug Len.

"I'm so very happy you weren't a dummy idiot, Len," Teto looked up at him. _That's_ the Teto he knew.

"It takes a lot to say 'no' to something like that. You're 14… you pay attention and _like_ stuff like that now, idiot," Miku poked him on the shoulder accusingly.

Len laughed nervously, his posture less tense. "I hate you guys."

"Eh, boys need a good kick in the ass every little bit," Miku winked. "Take my older brother Mikuo for example… sheesh… lazy… annoying… ladies ma–"

"Miku, focus," Teto warned.

"Ah, yeah, so let's all go for breakfast at the diner down a few blocks, 'kay? I haven't eaten _anything_ this morning," Miku moaned.

Len laughed. "A non-date breakfast without you two trying to–"

Miku punched him softly on the arm. "Don't speak of this again. I don't need any rumors flying around in my sophomore year!"

"Or my freshman," Teto agreed.

"Yup, so breakfast, then we go visit Rin," Len confirmed. They began walking towards their destination. "I haven't been able to speak with you much, Miku. Rin's actually doing better."

Miku couldn't help but smile at Len's cheerful expression. "Really? How so?"

"Well, you know how I stayed the first week at the hospital?" They nodded. "I asked one of the nurses, Luka, who's positive Rin'll be discharged soon, to help Rin once she's _is _discharged with bathing, clothes, stuff like that."

"Because you would _hate_ doing that," Miku said suggestively, pressing a wrinkle out of her white blouse.

"Oi!" Len blushed. "Uh, no. I would _not_ like doing that. It'd actually be rather awkward, okay?"

"Eh, no need to get your panties in a twist, Lenny," Miku advised, shrugging.

"You have too much fun poking fun at me, don't you?" Len said flatly.

"It's an art," Miku said with a dramatic sashay, her bright green skirt swirling around.

"Miku spends too much time talking about herself," Teto said matter-of-factly.

"I do not!" Miku shrieked.

Len laughed. _Hmm… it's nice. They think positively no matter what._ Their friendly argument continued on for another few minutes before they reached the diner.

_Ring! Ring!_ The door's bells rang as they entered.

"Hiya! Welcome to NekoNeko Diner! How many in your party?" a hyper girl of about 18 popped out from practically nowhere. She wore a dark rose colored maid outfit and bright pink cat ears. Her light pink hair was pulled to the right in a long, thin ponytail that curled up at the bottom.

"Uh, three," Len said with mild confusion in his voice. The three friends followed the energetic waitress to a booth with somewhat shocked expressions. Miku and Teto sat on one side with Len on the left.

"Call me over when you decide, 'kay?" she said giving them their menus, glasses of water, and then leaving.

"Did this place change management or something?" Miku whispered loudly from behind the menu to the others.

"Beats me. I haven't been around this side of town for a little while," Len shrugged. He began to play with the straw dispenser.

"But you live right down the street," Miku pointed out while looking at the menu.

"Eh, I don't ever need to come this way, so this half of town is a mystery to me," Len explained.

"True. I never go over here either. Just once or twice to this cafe diner thing with my family before it turned into a crazy house," Miku sighed.

Teto looked up from her menu. "I heard…" she began mysteriously. "There's this shop down Jay Street that's haunted."

Miku snickered. "Who'd you hear this from?"

"My brother Ted," Teto said cheerfully. Len marveled at how quickly she could change her expression.

"Oh, and your brother Ted was the one that said bacon was made from people, too, right?" Miku raised an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Teto smiled. "Except I know that's not true now because my dad took me to a farm and they had a demonstration on how they sl–"

"Ewww! We're going to be eating, Teto. Don't talk about stuff like that!" Miku shuddered.

"But that's where the meat we ea–" Teto continued.

"Nope! Nope! Not listening!" Miku stucked her fingers in her ears and began to sing. "_Do do do do demo ii! Do do do do demo ii!_"

Len smiled, watching to the two jokingly fight again. Miku noticed and pulled her fingers out of her ears after she was sure Teto has finished trying to cause her to loose her appetite. "You smile a lot, Len."

Len laughed. "You guys always find a way to look at the bright side."

"Huh? But aren't you the 'what happened, happened, so look on the bright side' guy?" Miku questioned.

Len's expression sadden. "But… you guys don't have to fool yourselves into it. I… I…"

Miku reached for Len's hand which was on the table and held it with both of her's, looking directly at him with a serious expression. "Len, you're going to become a depressed wreak if you keep treating yourself like this. Stop thinking about things so much."

Len's darkened manner lightened. "Thank you, Miku. And to think, you guys used to hate me." He winked.

"Hate you?" Teto inquired.

"Well, remember in middle school you two always got mad that I was 'hogging Rin?'"

"Oh, right! We don't hate you as much anymore. You still are hogging Rin though," Miku stuck her tongue out, crossing her arms. All three began to laugh. "But as long as you're fine with sharing your feelings with each other–boyfriend, girlfriend–, then we can deal with the 'hogging.'" Teto did a thumbs up.

"Oh, damn it. We never even looked at the menu… what were you guys thinking of getting?" Len asked.

"BLT on french bread!" Teto beamed.

"I was thinking–wait, Teto, we're ordering breakfast, aren't we?" Miku pointed out.

"But I waaant a BLT on french bread," Teto whined.

"Eh, fine, fine… I was thinking of getting omelet with green onions and ham. Whad'bout you Len?"

"Uh… maybe a smoothie and pancakes topped with–"

"Let me guess, bananas?" Miku raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, actually," Len replied.

"Alrighty, then!" The three jumped in their seats at the sudden shout from the across the room. "I'll get those orders into the chef and they'll be out in a few!" The waitress practically popped out from nowhere again.

"How does she keep doing that?" Miku whispered.

Len shrugged. "And why are we the only ones in the diner other than… that person over there at the counter?" Len pointed to the person in question.

"I didn't even notice them before!" Miku's whisper was starting to become filled with nervousness.

The three began to stare at the person, who was drinking coffee. They figured it must've been a girl because their long yellow hair which reached above her hips. The girl, wore a long, fitted black trench coat and black and yellow-pinstriped fedora, which obscured the view of her face. It wasn't until she turned to call over the waitress, that they saw her face. Miku and Teto's own faces transformed to expression of utter shock.

"Is that?" Miku asked.

"Was that?" Teto whispered.

"Is that Lily?" Miku said in a loud whisper, causing the woman to turn her head towards the three. They stared for a moment before hurriedly turning back towards each other.

"That _is_ Lily!" Miku quietly shrieked.

"Who's Lily?" Len was confused by the excited reaction from his friends.

"_'Who's Lily_?' '_Who's Lily_?" The girls' expressions were still filled with shock but now also disgust.

"Eh, don't blame me for not knowing. So who is she?" Len backed down slightly in his chair, their intimidating stances worried him a little.

"Oh, she's a Japanese-American famous singer, silly!" Teto piped up.

"She was one of those teenage stars." Miku explained. "Destined to be great, but then something always goes wrong. She became famous because she sings in Japanese, but the language didn't matter; everyone loved her. Her mother died in a plane crash and her father committed suicide soon after that. She continued singing, but it just never was the same. After that she turned to drugs and alcohol. She got arrested for having some _really_ bad stuff with her once after a concert. After she got released, no one ever heard from her again. That was two years ago."

"Maybe she went through rehab?" Teto suggested.

"Maybe… I wonder what she's doing here… Rin was a big fan of her, actually," Miku pondered.

"I got your food here!" the waitress dashed up to them with three food-filled plates and smoothie in hand. She gave each of them their food and hurried off. "Enjoy!"

The three began eat their breakfast, still silently glancing over at the once famous singer occasionally.

"So how old is she?" Len asked.

"Hmm… she was 17 when she began singing… three years after that… and then two years after that… 22 or so, I'd say," Miku concluded.

Len nodded, continuing to eat the stack of pancakes in front of him.

"Oh! I just remember. I heard a rumor she was from somewhere in our county," Teto recalled.

"Oh, really? I wonder if she's from this town…?" Len mused. "Oh, and after this, can we head back to my house for a little bit? I was actually wanting to get something for Rin…"

"Oooh, like a sweet or something?" Teto asked.

"Yup. My mom made some orange preserve thumb cookies the other day, so I thought she might like some," he smiled.

"Sure. Fine with me," Miku approved. "So Len, what exactly happened? I've not gotten the whole story from everyone. Just bits and pieces."

Len's appearance darkened. "I… I'd rather not talk about it right now…"

Miku nodded. "Okay. Whenever you wish to is fine."

He smiled. _Miku's never that understanding… I'm glad she is right now…_

"You said a nurse is going to come help her… is her dad going to pay for any therapies for her?" Teto wondered.

Len smirked. "Yeah, right. He's actually disappeared. Haven't heard from him since our little fight at the hospital."

"What?" Miku was astonished, her voice raising. "How can he leave his daughter in a hospital and not even do anything about it?" She stood up. "I'm going to run to the restroom real quick."

"I'll go too," Teto followed, leaving Len to himself.

He sighed, taking out his cell phone and staring at the wallpaper, a picture of him and Rin smiling, his mind wandering. He didn't notice the footsteps coming from behind him.

"You sound like you care, kid," a husky but feminine voice said from behind him.

Len looked up. "You're Lily, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Yes. So who's your friend in the hospital? The one in the picture there?" She walked over and sat in the opposite bench seat where Miku and Teto were sitting. Len noticed how beautiful she actually was, but she was shockingly thin and had a few scars on her arms. She sat with elbows on the table, her head resting in her palms.

"My best friend, Rin. I've known her for ten years… she got hit by a car two weeks ago and… just isn't the same anymore." His eyes began to water. "She can't talk and control her expression or movements most of the time… I miss her singing…"

"You must really love her if you're telling a complete stranger this," Lily decided.

"Uh… I would've say 'love,'" he said nervously.

"Oh, don't deny it, kid. I know love when I see it. Plus, I used to live in this town, so I know how the people here work. Did her dad used to work over at the concert hall downtown?"

Len was surprised. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"I remember him. He was in charge of lighting. Before I became a big singer, I used to do musical theater actually. Then I took up the electric guitar, played acoustic before, and began singing at the local talent shows. At a talent show, my last one here, the guy in charge of lighting had his little blonde daughter with him. He told her to wait backstage and sit in a chair since his shift was almost over. I was practicing my guitar, getting warmed up, ya know, and she came over to me. She was about eight or nine."

Len nodded.

"She was absolutely in awe at the guitar. Told me she was a fan of my singing at the shows. She wanted to try to play it. Begged and begged and I finally gave in. I sat the guitar on my lap and held down a chord. She strummed the strings up and down with the pick, watching them vibrate and listening to the sound coming from the small amp. She told me she wanted to sing a song, so I asked her which one. 'Toeto,' which was one of the songs I wrote for a friend and we both sang it when we were freshman at the high school talent show. It didn't even phase me to ask how she knew it–"

"Her mom used to work at the high school we go to, and often would come with her," Len supplied.

"Oh, hmm, no wonder," Lily smiled and continued her story. "She began to sing as I held the chords and she strummed. She had a really nice and cute voice for someone so young. Later, after the show, her dad came back and found her singing and playing with me. He was infuriated. He yelled at her, saying she didn't listen to him, but I backed her up. Couldn't let a little girl be accused of something she didn't do. He got mad, real mad. Stormed off to go get the stage manager. Said I hurt his little girl. Convinced the guy to never let me play there again. Got kicked out and never was able to say bye to her."

"Wow… she never told me…" Len said.

"Her dad told her to never speak of it again. Probably forgotten about it by now…" Lily finished.

"Oi! Let me out, little miss cat ears! We've been stuck in this bathroom for the past ten minutes!" Miku yelled from the back of the store. Lily gave Len a confused look. He just shrugged.

"Sorry! Can't let you out yet! I'm, uh, cleaning the floor and it's, uh, slippery. For your safety!" the waitress yelled through the door to the trapped customers.

Len and Lily continued their conversation. "You know what? I'll give you my number and when she's discharged you give me a call and I'll come by and see her, 'kay?"

Len was surprised. "Really?"

"Sure, kid. No problem. Hey, you know what? I overheard her dad's not going to give her any therapies, right? There's a pawn shop down this street," she said, as she reached in the inside pocket of her trench coat, pulling out a stack of wallets-sized pictures of herself. "My autographs go for about 80 bucks a pop, so why don't you take some and use the money for her, 'kay?"

She began to sign a stack of about 15, handing one to Len as she finished each one. His eyes grew wider as he mentally calculated how much money it would be. On the last picture she wrote "to Len, keep on smiling, love Lily. 555-568-7600"

"I don't know what to say," Len stuttered, his eyes shining.

"You already have, Len," Lily smiled.

"_You little cat-eared bitch. Let us out of the restroom already!_" Miku screamed through the restroom door they were apparently trapped behind.

"I better get going. Remember to call. Sayonara!" Lily quickly walked away and a second later the bell on the door rang.

"_FINALLY!_" Miku yelled as she stormed out of the restroom. "Len we are _leaving_ and _never_ coming back!"

Before Len could protest, Miku grabbed him by the arm and pulled him towards the exit, Teto in tow.

"I'm so sorry! Please let me explain!" the pink-haired girl called running up to the door as they–well, mostly only Miku–angrily strode out of the cafe. "I'm so sor–"

Miku slammed the door in the waitress face before she could finish.

"Ugh! She trapped us in there for _at least_ ten minutes!" Miku whined. Teto nodding.

"Um, I think it's becau–" Len tried to explain.

"I mean _seriously_!" Miku continued as they walked back to Len's.

"Uh, Miku. She wa–"

"Why would she need to lock us in there for–"

"MIKU! _Listen_. Look who I met," he waved the signed photos in front of her face.

"WE MISSED MEETING LILY!" Miku shrieked.

"Ow," Len winced. "Stop yelling, Miku. This is serious."

"So what happened, Len?" Teto asked.

Len then began explain the entire conversation to the two. "So she gave me these autographs to go sell." He concluded.

"Wow! So she gave you her phone number too?" Miku stared at the picture autographed to Len. Teto leaning over to look at it too.

"Yup. Oh, we're almost back. I'll run in and get the cookies. You two can stay out here," Len said nonchalantly.

"What? You don't want us in your house?" Teto asked.

"Um, no! I'll just run in and get them!" With that he sprinted off towards his house, leaving Miku and Teto in the dust.

"I'll never understand that boy," Miku shook her head.

* * *

><p>AN: hope you enjoyed! I wonder why Len doesn't want them in his house? hmmm... and hehe, I have to wonder how many people would've loved Len choosing Miku or Teto… XD tooooo bad, hehe. this is a RinxLen story, hehe. school's going to be starting soon, so I won't be able to update as often, but there still will be updates! :D I have nothing else to say, for once, so remember to review and I shall respond to every single one! :D love all you guys!

-Celeste


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: hey, my friends! :D I cannot tell you how big the smile is on my face every time I see someone who reviews/favorites/alerts! ^_^ really, you guys make my day!

here's the next chapter for ya! just so you know, remember how I said there are currently three story-lines going on? now there's four: pre-summer vacation (last day of school), post-summer vacation and pre-accident, post-accident pre-therapy, and now post-accident post-therapy. there will be a fifth, by the way, but that's way later…

there _might_ be a sixth, which would be background on how Rin and Len meet; if you'd like me to write that… but I need to know you guys would want that, so be sure to review or PM me! the input my fans (if I could call you guys that?) I received is great appreciated and will be taken into consideration! if you have any ideas for _anything_ just leave a review or PM! I'll be sure to give you credit too.

I've noticed my chapters becoming longer and longer, as I get more comfortable with writing them. :) I have the basic storyline planned out and a few key scenes, but most of this is actually improvisation ^_^' but I find I write best that way. I'm also tying up a few loose ends from previous chapters in this chapter.

there also is a My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic reference in there, hehe. love the show and if any of my fellow Pega-sisters and maybe even Bronies like the mini references, I might add more~ hehe. who says Rin and Len aren't fans of the show? my crazy ideas...

oh, and they live in California… forgot to mention that. and now I did, lawlz.

in reply to anonymous reviewer Hyan: thanks! I'm glad you like it! :D here's the link to the Append version of Hello, Again: http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=zFSDccCijGw

well, enough of my notes, here's the next chapter. be warned, it's filled with fluffiness~! hehe.

* * *

><p>"How's it going with your father?" Len asked as they walked home from school. They just finished their last day of school until summer break, so they were still in their uniforms.<p>

"Let's see… Still hates me. Wishes I never existed. What else is new?" Rin said sarcastically.

"Hey, Rin," he sped up his pace to be in front and turned to face her. "It's okay. No need to hide your feelings away behind fallacious remarks."

She chuckled, "Len, you know me too well, don't you?"

"I try," he muttered.

"What was that?" she asked incredulity.

"Nothing!" he squeaked as he slowed to walk next to her again.

"Fine, then, Len," she smirked but her face fell again. "So, yup, still hates me."

"It's been rough, hasn't it?" Len said empathetically.

Rin's face dropped even further. "Yeah."

"Three years in a week, right?"

She nodded and came to a standstill. A few steps forward, Len noticed. Rin's shoulders hunched over slightly. She hugged her arms.

"Oh, Rin…" he walked back adjacent to her. She sniffled.

"Len…" she gazed into his eyes, filled with sorrow, before looking down at the ground. There, a few small dark circles appeared next to her feet. Her voice cracked. "It wasn't fair… It wasn't_ fair_."

He placed his right hand on her left arm and lifted her head up with a single finger from his other hand. She averted her eyes from his own understanding ones. She gasped as he wrapped his arms around her in a hug, but she did the same. His chin rested on top of her head.

"Rin… please know, whether things happen for a reason or just because, but even though things change and people leave our lives…" he breathed deeply and continued. "Please know… I will _always_ be here for you. No matter what."

"Len…" she murmured happily. She buried her face into his chest. _Thump. Thump. Thump._ His steady heartbeat calmed her.

* * *

><p>Len darted to his house, breathing heavily and heart racing. Walking through the unlocked door–thanks to Teto–he advanced towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge and found the box of cookies his mom made yesterday. He lifted the lid on the cardboard box and the pleasant smell of orange quickly flowed from the it.<p>

"Mmmm… reminds me of Rin's perfume," Len sighed and licked his lips happily without thinking. When he did realize what he did, he could feel his face become warmer and shook his head. "No, no… can't say things like that…"

After closing the package, he found a thin canvas bag in the closet and placed it inside.

"Oi, Len. What's taking so long?" Miku called through the front door, startling Len.

"Be out, in a second," he answered. Dashing upstairs again, he entered his room and crouched to reach under his bed. Pulling out a brown shoe box, he smiled. He opened the lid and picked up two small black velvet boxes. The smile never left his face as he placed them inside of the bag.

Racing downstairs again, he tripped on the rug. Miku and Teto heard the commotion and stepped inside.

"Len, you okay?" Teto asked.

"No, I mean, yes. You guys stay outside!"

Miku scoffed. "I don't even know why you're so keen on keeping us out, but _whatever_."

Picking himself up off the floor, he brushed his clothes off and found the canvas bag, which had flown quite a distance from the site of his stumble. His eyes widened when he noticed one of the small boxes wasn't in it.

"Hey, Len. What's this?" Teto asked. Len looked up and noticed her holding the missing box.

Before Teto could wrap her fingers around it to open it, Len zoomed over at lightening speed to snatch it back from her.

"Hey! I was just wondering…" Teto said sadly.

"What's so special about the box, Len?" Miku cocked an eyebrow.

"Eh," he laughed nervously. "Nothing, really…" He shoved the box back into the bag. "Let's go."

"Oh, fine…" Miku sighed and rolled her eyes as they began walking.

"Which way to the hospital?" Teto asked, skipping along.

"It's a bit of a walk, but down First street," Len pointed north.

"Alrighty, let's go!" Miku smiled. "You got the cookies right?"

"You are_ not_ even allowed to hold this bag on our way there… and you know why, Miku?" Len teased.

"Because you care about my diet?" Miku smirked.

"Because you will _eat_ them all by the time we've walked one block," Len shook his head.

"Hey! But… it is true…" Miku agreed. "Well, let's go!"

* * *

><p>It was late in the afternoon. Len sat down at his desk and opened his laptop. <em>Ding<em>. An email notification popped up.

"Eh, who could this be from?" Len muttered to himself as he opened the link.

"LEN!" a video message screamed at him, causing him to nearly fall back out of his chair. "Is Rin alright? Miku sent me a message saying she's in the hospital! Video chat me right away when you get this message!"

"Oh, right… I haven't told Gumi yet…" Len realized. Clicking on the video chat window, he called Gumi.

"Oh, thank goodness, Len!" Gumi's face popped up on the screen. Her green hair was slightly frizzy. From the lighting outside, he could tell it was nighttime.

"Were you asleep?" Len asked, noticing her tired composure.

Gumi yawned. "Rin never told you I'm in New York? Come on, jet lag from California isn't too fun… I've been here for a week and half and I'm still not used to it."

"So about Rin…" Len continued to explain what happened to Rin, Gumi's eyes wide during the whole conversation.

"What about therapies? I mean, don't they have those?" Gumi asked, her voice filled with worry.

"Yeah, but her dad's disappeared. We had a small... argument at the hospital and once they questioned and then released him, we haven't heard from him since," Len said with disdain.

"So Miku's there... but Teto's not back from vacation yet, right?"

"No, she's still in Arizona and her family's making them take a break from technology for some retreat thing. I heard Neru and Nero were there too; remember them from middle school? I bet those two are absolutely lost without their cell phones… Teto still doesn't know about Rin."

"I wish I could be there…" Gumi continued. "Wait, aren't Neru and Nero Miku's cousins?"

"Yeah, except they don't get along too well. Neru and Teto are friends though. I heard that Ted was _interested_ in Neru, actually… gah, focus! Really, Gumi, you can get off track so easily…"

"Me! What are you… well, actually you're right," she laughed but squinted her eyes. "You seem to be hiding something though, Len. Even through this computer webcam's terrible quality, something's off with you. I've known you for nearly as long as Rin has…"

"Uh, no, nothing…" he lied, scratching the back of his neck.

"Even if I didn't know you, that was a pretty terrible try at hiding a lie," Gumi said in a monotone voice. "Did Rin ever tell you what I asked her to do the day she came over to your house two weeks ago?"

"Uh… yeah… she did… sort of… not really... but... yes..."

* * *

><p>"Aw, come on Len… I'm still not used to the controls! What does B do again?" Rin complained. She and Len were playing the puzzle game he had bought. Rin was still a little nervous, even though Len's invitation over at his house was purely innocent sounding. But that was exactly it… it was innocent <em>sounding<em>. Sometimes she didn't know what to expect from him.

"Oh, Rin… you'll get the hang of it… now place the cube on the button," he smiled.

"Which button?" she shrieked.

Len laughed. "Rin, calm down. There's no rush. The button behind you."

"Oh, uh, right…"

Len looked over at Rin, who was focused on the TV screen. Her expression was filled with determination. He noticed her furrowed brow and slight squint of her blue eyes. Her blonde hair caressing her face in a try at framing her beauty. She–

"Len, earth to Len!" Rin was waving a hand in front of his face. "Play the game and stop staring at me, weirdo."

Len's cheeks turned a bright shade of red and he looked away to face the large screen again. They were able to beat at least eight levels until getting bored and a little bit tired from thinking.

"Eh, let's get something to eat. You allowed to order pizza when no one's home?" she asked.

"Yeah. Hawaiian?" Len suggested.

"Oh, yes! My favorite! But I thought you didn't like pineapple much?"

"I can always pick it off…"

"If you're sure, then okay. I'll go grab our phones. Left 'em on the kitchen counter, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Len nodded as her shut off the screen and game.

Rin skipped off into the kitchen, which was adjacent to the living room, Len watching her the entire time. He smiled.

When Rin stepped out the kitchen, both their phones in hand, she eyed Len with a questioning look. "Okay, spill it. Do I have something on my face? You keep looking at me!"

Len felt his face become even warmer. He looked away, embarrassed. "Uh, no, Rin-chan…"

"Then _why_ do you keep look…" her voice trailed off as she realized something, her face turned a bright shade of red, mirroring Len's. "Oh," she whispered softly.

The two stared in silence at each other. Eternities seemed to pass before Rin decided to break the tension. "I'm gonna call for pizza now…"

She stepped back into the kitchen, turning the corner of the opening and slouching against the wall. _Oh, I'm an idiot… I am idiot… baka… and idiot…_ _such a derp… like Derpy Bubbles…_

"Muffins…" Rin mumbled, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity. She looked at the phone's in her hand. She was about to open her own to dial the local pizza joint's number but noticed Len's phone light up. _Oooh… a text from Neru. I wonder why… oh, I shouldn't be opening people's texts! But I can _always_ mark it as 'unread,' so, what the hey._

Rin flipped open the phone. "so, Len. hw's t gng w/ Rin? lst niht, u soundd u wr prtty srius abt askig hr."

Rin gasped at the message, staring at it in disbelief. _Ask me what? Ask. Me. What? I knew he didn't invite me over here innocently! He's a fourteen-year-old boy for crying out loud! He's… _thinking_ about _things _now… _She shuddered at the thought and gasped in realization. _That's why he's staring at me! Oh, I'm so stupid!_ _But… if he did try anything… would I not..._

Suddenly she heard his voice from the living room. "Yes, a large Hawaiian pizza, please. Extra cheese packets in the box too. No. No pepper flakes, just extra cheese _packets_. Okay. Twenty minutes, correct? See you then, thank you, ma'am."

She heard a small echoey click. "Rin, I forgot. The home phone was right next to us," he laughed, as he talked loud enough for her to hear him clearly. "The pizza'll be here soon. No worries. It's on me."

"Oh, I bet there's something else you want on y–" Rin was cut off from mumbling when she noticed him step into the kitchen.

"Oh, and Rin. I asked for extra cheese packets since you always seem to hog–" he looked down at the phone's in her hand.

"Len, it's not as bad as you think!" she cringed at the reaction she knew was soon to come. She was used to being hit for bad things she'd done by her father.

"Have you been reading my text messages?" Len stared blankly at Rin's hands.

"Umm… yes," she looked down at her bare feet.

"Oh, well…" he muttered. "It's alright… but just don't do it again."

Rin's eyes widened. _He didn't get mad? Every boy or man I know would… would go livid over that… he just said 'okay?'_

"If you want to know what Neru was talking about, she was asking me if I had asked you yet if you would like to go shopping for some summer clothes with me. I never seem to have a good sense of style and you're amazing at clothes, better than Miku actually, so…" he looked at Rin hopefully.

"Oh, uh, sure, Len. I'd be happy to," she smiled. _Did he just make that up on the spot?_

"Oh, you're doubting me. Do you want to see the text message?" he held the phone up to her to be able to read. It confirmed his words.

"I never doubt you, Len," she said simply, smiling at the still blushing face of her friend.

* * *

><p>The front door of Rin's apartment unlocked and opened. Nurse Luka was brushing Rin's short hair on the couch, both sitting cross-legged, while watching TV. Luka, dressed in a simple white cotton dress, leaned against the armrest with Rin in front of her. Rin wore a dark green blouse and jean shorts.<p>

"Hello, Luka," Len said cheerfully. He set down the grocery bag and small duffle bag he carried. He wore a cotton long-sleeved button down with yellow and black plaid board shorts.

"Oh, good afternoon, Len. It sure is a hot and humid July day, isn't it?" Luka looked up and then nodded, mouthing something to Len.

Len caught whatever signal Luka was trying to send. "So Rin, how does going to the pier sound to you?"

Rin's, who was looking directly at Len the entire time, face brightened up at the joyful smile from Len.

"Oh, looks like she wants to," Luka confirmed.

"Yup!" Len walked over to the couch, sitting cross-legged in front of her. "Would you like to go swimming too? It would be very good for you. I've heard you've gotten much better at walking now."

Luka nodded. "Yes, she has and it's only been two weeks since the therapy started. She's made excellent progress with pretty much everything."

Rin's smile never faded during the conversation.

"You'll need to get her dressed then, Luka," Len continued. "Would you like me to go find her clothes?"

Rin's face turned a shade of red, which Len noticed. "Er, or maybe you can…"

Luka laughed. "I would be embarrassed too, Rin."

Len looked at Luka strangely. "How do you know what she's feeling without looking at her face, Nurse Luka?"

"You two are like mirrors, you know that? When one feels something, the other reacts," Luka explained.

Both Rin and Len looked at each other, turning a shade of pink. "Is it really that obvious?" Len whispered.

"I told you when I first meet you, Len. You both show how much you care for each other." She continued brushing Rin's hair.

Len averted his eyes for a moment, but when a hand placed itself upon is shoulder, he looked back at Rin in surprise.

"Oh, now, look at that," Luka murmured, a tone of surprise was also present in her voice. However she did, Luka noticed they wanted to be alone together, she stood up to find Rin's bathing suit and sundress.

"Rin…" Len stared directly into Rin's eyes, which were half-lidded in a display of contentment. A shadow of sorrow was evident but no one could mistake the pure blissfulness mixed with love. He reached for her hand placed on his shoulder and held it in both of his.

Even though Rin could not express her current state of emotion, Len could read it. "Rin, we'll make it work."

Even though the statement was vague, it was not unclear. Len could see Rin's face brighten up even more. He reached to brush her bangs out of her face.

"Oh, you don't have your hair clips in," he realized. He reached for the four white hair clips and the brush sitting on the coffee table next to them. With his right hand holding the brush, he swept her bangs to their proper places and clipped them into place.

"There we go. I'm not too bad at hair styling, am I?" he asked as he held up a mirror.

"I always found it strange how our last names are the same… and Kagami… it means mirror in Japanese…" he mused. "What's the chance of that? Fate… Destiny…?" He shook his head, trying to hide his blushing face. He set the brush and mirror down.

He gazed directly into her eyes and began to softly sing. "_Smiling together. We'll be together,_" Len smiled.

"_Konna gojisei dakarakoso waratte mirai e to arukou. Smiling together…_" he picked up her hand, holding it between both his hands.

"_Ichibyou_ _goto ni_ s_ekai no dokoka de. Hito ga shini yuki hito ga umare yuku. Ichirin-bana ga kareru yori mo hayaku. Hito wa kawaite hito wo motometeru… Katachi aru mono hodo ni kantan ni moroku kowareteku kara. Oooh... How to love? Mada wakaranai… Nara konna no wa dou? Ima sugu dare ni datte dekiru yo…"_

Len noticed Luka had walked into the room, Rin's clothes in hand, at the last verse he sang. Blushing, he stopped singing. "Uh…"

"No, continue, please," Luka smiled encouragingly.

"Um… okay… _Smiling together…_" he began again, still a bit embarrassed. His eyes widened when Luka joined in and knew every word.

"_We'll be together. Konna gojisei dakarakoso waratte mirai e to arukou… Smiling together. We'll be together. Donna arasoi datte kotoba ja naku kokoro de kanjitara. Smiling together…"_

"How did you…?" he wondered.

"Miku told me you meet Lily. I used to go to school with her. We sang at talent shows together," Luka explained, walking up to stand in front of the couch. "When we graduated, she got a big contract deal with a music company. They offered me one too, but I declined. I wanted to pursue a career in nursing, so here I am now."

"Oh, wow. I would've never guessed… you are a very nice singer, though. Were you the one who sang Toeto?" Len asked. Rin noticeably flinched at the word but still continued looking at Len.

"Yes, in fact, we were. Did she tell you about that?" Except, Luka wasn't talking about Lily. She looked directly at Rin during the last question.

"No, Lily did," Len answered. He looked back at Rin, smiling. "And no worries, Rin. It doesn't matter if you told me or not."

_How did he know?_ Rin thought. _How does he know everything I feel? Is Luka right? Do we really mirror each other that much? I do always feel a bit… stronger around him._

"Well, Rin, let's get you dressed and then I can drive you two over to the beach, 'kay? Don't want it getting too late," Luka said with an undertone tone of worry. She started walking over to Rin, who began to stand up, along with Len, but wobbled a bit.

"Whoa, Rin. You all right?" Len grabbed her hand to help her balance. She smiled and nodded once.

"Hm, you really seem to be making quite a bit of progress!" Len said cheerfully.

Luka smiled. _Oh, he doesn't even know…_

* * *

><p>AN: how'd ya like it? and even _longer_ chapter, well, slightly longer, but still more words! XD so sorry for not updating for awhile! T-T and school hasn't even started yet! it will on tuesday, though, so I'm getting this out while I still have time to write!

I'm so very happy about the reviews and stuff I'm getting from everyone! thank you MusicIsJenn and Blu-adorer16 for adding this fic to your alert list! I'll hopefully update on weekends or whenever I have time, so thanks for bearing with me, everyone. :) I like to make the chapters as good as possible without rushing them, and quality takes time! ^_^

**edit** oh, and if you're a fan of Animal Crossing, Mario, or Sonic go and read my dear friend Misty's new fic she just posted! :D just go to my profile (well, _our_ profile, as we share the account) and check it out! ^_^ (and review too! it'll make her happy :) reviews make everyone happy!)

I don't think I have anything else to say now, except please review! :D I need your input on if you want a backstory to Rin and Len's first meeting, and even you just wanna say "loved this chapter" or something simple like that, then that's cool too! :D

until next time, my dear readers!

TTFN!

-Celeste


	7. Chapter 7

to my readers and others who may have taken the time to read this fic,I feel terrible! schoolwork has just gotten the best of me and I wish I had more time for writing! I'm sorry to make you excited as if this were an update, but I thought I would be nice and let you know everything; I've had a couple of personal matters come up (nothing too terrible concerning myself but rather it's my grandfather not doing well… at all) and schoolwork is just insane. I've kept straight A's though, so no worries there. I will try my very hardest to go for updating soon, hopefully at least during winter break, but I'm finally getting into the groove of this insane amount work high school brings. when I do finally update, I will delete this chapter and repost it with the update. also, I have a couple of other ideas for fics, so maybe that will bring me back into the groove of writing! also, thank you for your understanding, and I have not forgotten about you all, -Celeste


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